KXAN (May 19th, 2017)

Austin offers incentives to get people to Bike to Work today

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Last year, Austin police launched a new initiative called “Safe Passing.” The operation uses two bicycles that are outfitted with a tool that measures the distance between a vehicle and a bicyclist. The bikes also have a mounted readout display that shows the measured distance so officers who are conducting the sting can immediately determine if a violation is occurring.

In Austin, drivers who are passing a cyclist must leave at least 3 feet between their vehicles and the cyclist. For large/commercial vehicles, 6 feet is the legal minimum.